Mattias Kingsley
Mattias Kingsley is an American community worker, philanthropist, and politician, and the current junior Senator representing Maryland. He is best-known for his role as senior partner in the American Dream charity. Early Life Mattias Jacob Kingsley was born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 5, 1960. Kingsley's mother died shortly after his birth from tuberculosis, ravaging the city at the time. Kingsley was raised in a single-parent household by his father, an electrician. Kingsley's father never remarried, and he experienced intermittent poverty throughout his child, as his father experienced some difficulty finding work. Attending public schools, Kingsley's academic performance was not notable, and he neglected extracurricular activities through his elementary and high school years. Kingley succeeded in graduating high school. Foregoing a college education, Kingsley took up an apprenticeship and attended a trade school, certifying as an electrician. Vocational Career and Community Involvement Kingsley continued to work as an electrician over the next half-decade of his life, following his father's death from lung cancer in 1981. Kingsley rented an apartment of his own after his first year of work. Living in a fairly poor, high-crime neighborhood, Kingsley, by his own testimony, was caught in the midst of a gang dispute in the mid-1980s. Kingsley assaulted one of the gang members, and verbally berated the second until the gang member surrender his gun to Kingsley and was sent home. Kingsley reports this moment as the start of his moving into a position as something of an unofficial community leader. Kingsley would involve himself in the community in a largely unofficial capacity as an advocate and occasional intervener alongside his trade as an electrician through the end of the decade. With increasing pressure from members of the community, and the rising surge of crime moving into the early 1990s, Kingsley began to place himself primarily as a community leader before his trade. Over the next decade and a half, Kingsley would, primarily by informal means, alongside intermittent placements in official positions, stand as a major figure within his and the surrounding neighborhoods, connecting with various local businesses and school districts. American Dream Kingsley first met then-rookie Calvin Reed in 2004. Kingsley's involvement with Reed became a major factor in directing the budding philanthropist's desire to take action in Baltimore into the formal structure that would become American Dream. Kingsley became Reed's senior partner in the fledgling charity, and it's primary administrative head. Reed provided the necessary funds for the start-up of the organization, primarily by the donation of his signing bonus, while Kingsley utilized his established connections within Baltimore to ensure the charity's efforts were well-targeted. The increasing notability of Reed as a player and philanthropist on a national scale dramatically increased American Dream's donations and influence, to which Kingsley worked to adapt with some difficulty. The charity began to expand beyond its original anti-drug focus, while remaining, under Kingsley's direction, primarily focused in Baltimore. Initial efforts to expand American Dream, first to the state level, and then, by steps, to the national scale, were well underway by 2010, at which time a trade required Reed to move to Denver. Kingsley became the sole authority for the charity on the Eastern seaboard, and took a more methodical and slow-progressing take towards its development than Reed's rapid attempts at expansion. During the 2015 Baltimore riots, Kingsley sought to minimize the damage of the riots in the immediately surrounding area to the greatest extent possible to general success, while not seeking any overextension in attempting to forestall or shut down the riots in their entirety. 2016 Campaign The announcement of Calvin Reed's 2016 Presidential campaign drew Kingsley into politics to some extent. Kingsley, along with Reed, administrated American Dream's efforts in preparation for and recovery from Hurricane Bonnie. Kingsley would later deliver a statement on behalf of Reed after the false rape allegations levied against the candidate. Kingsley would ultimately, upon prompting, make his first major attempt at elected office by claiming the Republican nomination for Senator, in an attempt to unseat incumbent Alexander Maxwell. Kingsley debated against Maxwell, and Progressive Party candidate Ronald Dillinger, in a televised debate at the University of Baltimore. Kingsley criticized Maxwell harshly after the Senator claimed he had served on a city council in Baltimore (Maxwell had served on a council in Annapolis). The debate turned to a fierce back-and-forth on school choice policies, before Maxwell withdrew from the debate. Maxwell's withdrawal from the debate, scandals, and suspension of campaigning post-debate led to Kingsley's victory by a wide margin with a plurality, 48.6%, of the vote. Political Positions Kingsley was not politically involved prior to the 2016 election, but registered as a Republican, the same party affiliation as Calvin Reed, with a Democratic incumbent faced. Kingsley is generally considered a liberal Republican. Kingsley has expressed personal pro-life convictions, stating that the life of the mother should be the primary concern of when abortions are allowed. He has stated, however, that "the Court has made its decision." and emphasized focusing on "real issues" over "ethics dilemmas." Kingsley has stated that his position on gun control is not standard for a Republican. He has endorsed "reasonable gun control", and background checks, but stated he believes in a right for "honest folk" to own a handgun, and called a full handgun ban "foolery." Kingsley is opposed to a Federal Marriage Amendment. Kingsley has expressed strong support for school choice measures, stating his belief that the current system is "forcing all the poor black kids into schools that are just crap". He has proposed a credit-based voucher system for students as an alternative. Kingsley has also expressed support for the expansion and improvement of after-school programs. Personal Life Kingsley is unmarried, without children. Category:Maryland Category:Senator Category:Republican Category:African-American Politicians